Alexander Snr was born in 1862 in Scotland and was the manager of a rubber depot. Annie was born in 1863 in Leeds. They married in Bradford in 1884.

Alexander Snr’s job obviously involved many moves around the country as each of his 3 children were born in different places and none in Southampton.

At the 1901 census the family were living at 7 Rochester Road, Plymouth.

By the 1911 census, they were living 19 King’s Park Road, Southampton and at “Riplingham” in Carlton Road at the time of Alexander Jnr’s death.

Alexander Snr. died in Southampton in 1933 and Annie died in Bristol in 1943.

War Service
Alexander Jnr. was an Architect’s Pupil in the early 1900’s. He enlisted to his Brigade in Bristol some time before the 1911 census because he was not at home during that survey.

The North Somerset’s landed in France on 3 November 1914. They were under the orders of the 6th Cavalry Brigade from the 13 November. Almost immediately the Brigade was involved in the First Battle of Ypres. A small British Expeditionary Force succeeded in securing the town before the onset of winter, pushing the German forces back to the Passchendaele Ridge.

Alexander almost certainly met his end during this action. He would have been posthumously awarded the 1914 Star, given to those who served in France and Flanders between 5th August and 22nd November 1914.

In 1919 a clasp bearing the above dates was given to those who had actually been under fire between the prescribed dates. Popularly known as the “Mons Star”, 378,000 were awarded in total.

Researcher:

Mark Heritage

Published.:

17th October 2014

Updated:

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